Insecticidal device

ABSTRACT

An insecticidal device is provided which has a panel of a color having insect attracting properties, preferably yellow, and a spherical body of another color, preferably red. The spherical body is capable of defusing a liquid which contains an insect attractant and is combined with the panel in a manner that they form together an essentially flat panel having hemispherical bulges formed by the spherical body. A specific panel, which can be used as a panel in the above device and can be used as an independent insecticidal device is also provided.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention generally concerns a device useful in combatinginsects, to be referred to hereinafter as "insecticidal device".

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION AND PRIOR ART

Controlling insects is a major problem, both in household as well as inagriculture, horticulture and forestry. While conventionally control ofinsects is performed by spraying an area with an insecticide, such aform of control is very often undesirable due to its adverse ecologicaleffects, as well as its hazardous consequence on the person carrying outthe spraying.

In order to circumvent the ecological problems associated with sprayingof insecticides, it has been proposed to use diffusers of a poisonousbait liquid. Such diffusers have an absorber body soaked with a liquidcomprising an insect attracting agent such as a nutrient or a pheromone,and an insecticide. The insects which are attracted to the absorber bodyare poisoned and destroyed by the insecticide therein, either uponcontact or upon ingestion. One of the major drawbacks of knowninsecticidal devices of the kind specified is that the absorber body hasto be replenished by periodical spraying, which spraying again leads toecological problems as well as to an acute danger for the personspraying, such an operation being also time consuming and not costeffective.

Devices for use in insect control are disclosed in French PatentApplication No. 2,468,305 and in U.S. Pat. No. 4,992,268. The devicesubject of the French patent application operates on the basis of anadhesive substance which coats an external surface of either panel or asphere and when an insect lands on the surface of the device, in becomesadhered thereto and thus destroyed. The device subject of the U.S.Patent, which is specifically intended for the monitoring andcontrolling of the papaya fruit fly, consists of a green or black spherecoated by an adhesive material, which sphere is in combination with apapaya fruit fly sex pheromone held in a tube secured to the sphere andhaving the property of attracting the flies.

It is the object of the present invention to provide an improvedinsecticidal device.

GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The present invention has two aspects. An insecticidal device accordingto the first aspect is based on a novel concept of attracting insects bymeans of a combination of chemical and visual attractors whereby theinsect is diverted from its original target, e.g. a fruit in the case ofa fruit fly, towards the insecticidal device. The device in accordancewith the second aspect of the invention comprises a novel design of apanel of a kind covered by an adhesive substance whereby insects whichcome into contact with the panel remain adhered thereto. The panel inaccordance with the second aspect may also be used in an insecticidaldevice in accordance with the first aspect.

According to the first aspect of the present invention there is providedan insecticidal device comprising in combination:

(i) a spherical body holding a liquid or having associated therewith aliquid container, said body being capable of diffusing said liquid intothe surrounding atmosphere; said liquid containing an insect attractantand optionally an insecticide;

(ii) a panel of a color which has insect attracting properties, thepanel being adapted to combine with said spherical body in a manner thatthey form together an essentially flat vertical panel havinghemispherical bulges on both faces formed by said spherical body.

Said panel may, be of a rigid or a resilient material. The color of thepanel and that or the spherical body have to be chosen in accordancewith the type of insect to be combatted. For example, in the case of thefruit fly or the olive fly, yellow color is known to act as anattractant and accordingly, in combatting these insects, the panel willpreferably be yellow. Furthermore, in the case of the fruit fly, thespherical body will preferably be red.

In a device in accordance with the first aspect of the invention, theinsect attraction is achieved by a unique combination of chemicalattraction by the liquid diffused into the environment and a visualattraction by means of a color, a color contrast, as well as by theshape of the device.

The diffusion of the liquid from said spherical body can typically beachieved by the use of a diffuser body exposed to the atmosphere andbeing soaked by the liquid.

The liquid comprises an insect attractant, which may be an agent, suchas a pheromone, a nutrient, e.g. sugar or a protein hydrolysate, or anyother chemical insect attractant. In addition, the liquid may comprisean insecticidal agent, particularly where the device comprises adiffuser body. In the latter case, the spherical body will be designedso as to allow access of the insects to the diffuser body and uponcontact or ingestion of the liquid, the insects will be destroyed.

The spherical body will typically be made of a plastic material.

In accordance with one embodiment of the invention, the liquid iscontained within the spherical body. In accordance with anotherembodiment of the invention, the liquid is contained in a separatecontainer associated with the spherical body adapted to controllablytransfer its content of liquid into the spherical body for diffusion.Such an associated container may, for example, form part of said panel.

The spherical body will typically be made of two parts, which in anoperational state of the device one forms the top and the other thebottom part of the spherical body. In accordance with one embodiment ofthe invention, the bottom part has a dish means adapted for holding aliquid and preferably also for holding the bottom portion of acylindrical diffuser body which is made of an absorbent material. Inaccordance with this embodiment, the liquid is either contained in acontainer means within the top part of the spherical body or within acontainer means forming part of the top part of the panel and which iscontrollably emptied into the dish means through an appropriate pathwayin the upper part of the spherical body.

In accordance with another embodiment of the invention, the containermeans is an enclosure in the bottom portion of the spherical body andthe liquid is being diffused by means of a wick, the bottom of which isimbedded in the liquid; optionally, in order to increase the rate ofdiffusion, the wick is in contact with a diffuser body in the topportion of the spherical body.

The said panel may be of a rigid or resilient material. The panel maypreferably have sticky surfaces, particularly where the liquid does notcomprise an insecticide, whereby the insects, upon coming into contactwith the panel's surface, become adhered thereto. The sticky surface maybe formed by applying an adhesive substance onto to the panel or byattaching to the panel a film having an adhesive surface, etc. Ifdesired, the panel's surface may also be covered by an insecticide.

In accordance with the second aspect of the present invention, there isprovided an insecticidal device comprising:

a panel of a color having insect attracting properties; two flexiblesheets which are fixed to one and the same edge of the panel and whichin a first, storage state of the device, cover each one face of thepanel; and an adhesive substance which in said first state isessentially uniformly disposed between each sheet and its respectiveface of the panel in said first state;

the sheets being capable, in a second, operational state of the device,of being detached each from its respective face of the panel, each sheethaving a catch means adapted for engagement with the catch means of theother sheet in a manner that there faces, which in said first state faceoutwards, come to face one another in said second state.

The device in accordance with the second aspect may be an independentdevice or may also be used as a panel in the device in accordance withsaid first aspect. Where the device in accordance with said secondaspect is an autonomous device, it may either have a uniform color,particularly yellow, or may also have printed thereon a pattern, e.g.circular, of a different color, e.g. red, which may have an improvedinsect attracting properties.

The invention will now be illustrated with a description of severalspecific and non-limiting embodiments, with occasional reference to theannexed drawings;

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary front cross-sectional view of a device accordingto the first aspect of the invention, in a non-operational state;

FIG. 2 is a cross-section through lines 2--2 in FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a front view of the liquid container of the device of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a cross-section through lines 4--4 in FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a top view of a safety catch;

FIG. 6 is a top view of the bottom hemisphere of the spherical body inthe device of FIG. 1;

FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view through lines 7--7 in FIG. 6;

FIG. 8 is a cross-sectional view through lines 8--8 in FIG. 7;

FIG. 9 is a top view of the top hemisphere of the spherical body in thedevice of FIG. 1;

FIG. 10 is a cross section through lines 10--10 in FIG. 9;

FIG. 11 is a side cross-sectional view of a spherical body and a liquidcontainer in accordance with another embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 12 shows a side cross-sectional view of the bottom hemisphere ofthe spherical body in accordance with an embodiment of the inventionprovided with a movable piercing device for piercing the dischargeopening of the container;

FIG. 13 is a longitudinal cross-sectional view through anotherembodiment of a spherical body;

FIG. 14 shows a side elevation of a device according to a furtherembodiment of the first aspect of the invention;

FIG. 15 is a cross-sectional view through lines 14--14 in FIG. 13;

FIG. 16 is a front view of the panel of the device of FIGS. 13 and 14;

FIG. 17 is a cross-sectional view of an insecticidal device according toa further embodiment of the First aspect or the invention; and

FIG. 18(a)-18(c) shows a device in accordance with the second aspect ofthe invention in three operational states.

DESCRIPTION OF A SPECIFIC EMBODIMENT

The device generally designated 10 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 comprises aspherical body 11, a liquid container 12 and a panel 13. From thereasons already pointed out above the panel has preferably a yellowcolor and the spherical body has a red or similar color. The container12 shown in somewhat more details in FIGS. 3 and 4, is made of amaterial which is inert to the liquids contained therein, and has anessentially rectangular flat shape. Container 12 is fitted at its topwith hanging means 15. Container 12 has a neck portion 17 having anexternally screw-threaded portion 19, a discharge opening 20 and anannular collar 21. The top of the neck portion is embraced by a safetycatch 22 shown in FIG. 5, which prevents unintentional downward screwingwhich will pierce the discharge opening (see below), Prior to use, thissafety catch has to be removed.

Panel 13 is typically a flattened sleeve of a polymeric film thatenvelopes container 12 and is integral with and extends from the topportion 22 of the container. Panel 13 has a weight rod 24 at its bottom,which serves to keep the bottom portion of the panel straight. Panel 13has a hole in the middle having a diameter essentially the same as thatof the circumferential vertical groove 49 of the spherical body (seebelow) and by slightly stretching the panel the hole boundaries may befitted into groove 49, and these two members thus combine to formtogether an essentially flat panel with hemispherical bulges on both ofits faces formed by the spherical body.

As can be seen, spherical body 11 has a bottom hemisphere 26 and a tophemisphere 27, separated from one another by an external peripheral gap28. The neck portion 17 of container 12 fits through an opening 30 intop hemisphere 27 and rests into a dish means 31 in the bottomhemisphere.

Reference is now being made to FIGS. 6 to 8 showing the bottomhemisphere in somewhat more details. Bottom hemisphere 26 has a dishmeans 31 consisting of a central hub 32, radial ducts 33 and acircumferential trough 34. Hub 32 has an internal screw-thread 36adapted to cooperate with the external screw-thread 19 of neck portion17 of the container. At the center of the hub there is a piercer 38which is adapted to pierce a membrane such as a metal foil or the like(not shown) at the discharge opening 20 of the container once the twoare engaged. Trough 34 is defined between a skirt 40 and an internalcylindrical wall 41, and holds a cylindrical diffuser body 42 (absentfor the sake of clarity from FIG. 6). Cylindrical diffuser body 42 restson support bulges 45 which project from the skirt 40 leaving a clearanceto allow free flow of liquid throughout the entire circumferentialtrough 34.

When the neck portion 17 of the container and the hub 32 are engaged,discharge opening 20 of container 12 is pierced open by the piercer 38,and then the insecticidal liquid contained therein is discharged intohub 32, and from these flow through ducts 33 and into liquid trough 34.Hub 32 is provided with stop means 43 which ensure that there willalways be a clearance between the bottom surface of the hub and the lipsof the discharge opening to ensure free flow of the liquid into ducts33.

When trough 34 is filled with the insecticidal liquid, cylindricaldiffuser body 42 becomes essentially uniformly soaked with the liquidand can diffuse it through gap 28 in the spherical body. Gap 28 allowsinsects to enter and upon contact with diffuser body 42 and/or ingestionof the insecticidal liquid thus perish.

Bottom hemisphere 26 is further provided with two lateralcircumferential projections 47 and 48 which define between them acircumferential vertical groove 49.

Attention is now being directed to FIGS. 9 and 10 showing the upperhemisphere 27 of the spherical body 11. Hemisphere 27 has an opening 30which is adapted, as already mentioned above, to receive the neckportion of container 12, The diameter of this opening is less than theexternal diameter of annular collar 21 of the container and as a result,when the container is fully screwed to the hub in the lower hemisphere(see above) the upper hemisphere 27 is tightly held between annularcollar 21 and the lower hemisphere.

Hemisphere 27 has a downward cylindrical projection 51 which is of aslightly smaller diameter than cylindrical wall 41 and consequently whenthe two hemispheres are assembled together it juxtaposed cylindricalwall 41 from inside.

The diameter of the projection 51 and wall 41 may by adjusted, so thatwhen the two hemispheres are pressed against one another they come intotight contact and thus hold the two hemispheres together.

Hemisphere 27 has further a circumferential vertical groove 53 whichwhen assembled with hemisphere 26 is in register with groove 49 inhemisphere 26. The registrability of the two grooves is ensured by meansof cut-out 55 which fit on the outside walls of ducts 33.

As can be seen in FIGS. 1 and 2, hemisphere 27 is slightly larger thanhemisphere 26 and as a result, hemisphere 27 shades the diffuser body42. This shading avoids excessive evaporation of the insecticidal liquidwhich may be caused by direct solar radiation, and prevents washing awayof the insecticidal liquid by rain.

As already pointed out above, the spherical body is typically red andthe panel is typically yellow. The combination of these two colors andthe spherical shape of said spherical body are attractants of insects ininsecticidal and fruit flick in particular, which feature thus improvesthe insecticidial activity of the device.

FIG. 11 shows a slight modification from the embodiment of FIGS. 1-10.In accordance with this embodiment, the bottom surface 61 of hub 62 isessentially flat and serves for sealing the discharge opening of thecontainer by tightly screwing the lips of the discharge opening of thecontainer against this surface. By slightly unscrewing the container agap is formed between the discharge opening and the surface 61 andliquid is released in a similar manner as that described in theembodiment of FIGS. 1-10.

In order to ensure that the bottle is not excessively unscrewed, opening63 in the upper hemisphere 64 is provided with stop means 65 a whichcooperate with collar 66 on the neck portion of the container for thatpurpose.

A device in accordance with this embodiment will usually be disposableas containers cannot be replaced.

Attention is now being made to FIG. 12 showing another embodiment of aspherical body, of which only the lower hemisphere 70 is shown. Thelower hemisphere has a movable piercing means 71 consisting of piston 72and a piercer 73. Movable piercing means are guarded againstunintentional piercing by means of safety catch 74 which can be brokenalong a break line 75 upon the application of pressure. When thepressure is applied, piercing means 71 are elevated, as shown by dottedlines 76 and consequently the discharge opening of the container ispierced open. The liquid can then flow out of the discharge opening andinto the liquid holding means, in a similar manner to that described inconnection with the embodiment of FIGS. 1-10. Piston 72 in its upperposition is pressed against the surrounding cylindrical walls 77 wherebydownward leakage of insecticidal liquid is avoided.

Attention is now directed to FIG. 13 showing a spherical body 80 inaccordance with a further embodiment of the present invention. Thespherical body 80 has a top hemisphere 81 which serves as a container ofthe insecticidal liquid. Hemisphere 81 has a neck portion 82 which isscrew engaged into hub 83 of the bottom hemisphere 84. By tightlyscrewing the two hemispheres against one another the discharge opening85 is sealed and by slightly unscrewing, the discharge opening isopened. Here, also, it is possible to use a movable piercing meanssimilar or different to those shown in FIG. 12.

Reference is now being made to FIGS. 14, 15 and 16 showing aninsecticidal device generally designated 90 consisting of a panel 91 anda spherical body 92. Panel 91 has an opening 93 at its top which servesfor hanging the device. Spherical body 92 has an upper part 96 and abottom part 97, engaged with one another by means of externally screwthreaded neck portion 98 of part 96 and internally screw threadedcylindrical cap/retainer means 99.

Upper part 96 serves as a container for liquid 101 which contains a saidsubstance such as a protein hydrolysate, a pheromone, a sugar, oranother insect insecticide, and optionally also an insecticide. Bottompart has a central dish means 102 defined by upright walls 103. Dishmeans 102 holds a cylindrical diffuser body 104 which is made of anabsorbent material.

In the closed state shown by a dotted line 106 in FIG. 14, bottom part97 is tightly screwed against upper part 92 whereby means 99 sealsopening 107 of neck portion 98. When the two parts 92 and 97 areunscrewed opening 107 is opened as shown in FIGS. 14 and 15, and liquid101 flows out through opening 107, through ports 108 in the walls ofcap/retainer means 99 and into dish means 102, whereby diffuser body 104becomes soaked with the fluid. In the position shown in FIGS. 13 and 14a gap is formed between parts 92 and 97 allowing diffusion of the liquidinto the surrounding atmosphere and access of insects to the diffuserbody.

Panel 91 as shown in FIG. 16 has a central opening 111 having a diameteressentially identical to that of the spherical body and having aninternally protruding ears 112 which have an internal diameteressentially the same as that of groove 113 (see FIG. 14) in upper part96 of spherical body 90.

For assembly of the device, spherical body 90 is forced into opening 111until ears 112 come into retainment engagement with groove 113. Bottompart 97 can then be unscrewed to the position shown in FIG. 13 in whichit presses against the bottom wall 114 of opening 111.

Reference is now being made to FIG. 17 showing a cross-section in aplane similar to that of FIG. 15 in another embodiment showing a devicegenerally designated 120 having a panel 121 and a spherical body 122.Similarly as in the embodiment of FIGS. 14-16, the panel has an opening123 at its top for hanging of the device,

Spherical body 122 has a bottom part 126 and a top part 127. The toppart 126 serves as a container for liquid 128 which comprises anattractant substance such as those mentioned above. The structure ofupper part 127 is similar to that of bottom part 97 in the embodimentshown in FIGS. 14-16 and also the engagement between the two parts issimilar as that in the other embodiment.

Embedded in the liquid 128 of bottom 126 is a wick 129 and uponunscrewing of upper part 127 to the position shown in FIG. 17, in whichposition the liquid can diffuse through ports 131 in the internallyscrew threaded cylindrical walls 132 whereby insects are attracted tothe device.

In a device of the two embodiments shown in FIGS. 14-16 and FIG. 17,panel 91 and 121, respectively, are preferably coated by an adhesivesubstance whereby insects which are attracted to a spherical body andcame into contact with the panel remain adhered thereto. In the case ofthe device of FIG. 15, insects destruction may also be achieved by meansof an insecticidal substance present in liquid 101 whereby insects whichcome into contact or ingest the liquid from diffuser body 104, aredestroyed.

Reference is now being made to FIG. 18 showing a device in accordancewith another embodiment of the invention in three operational states: afirst, storage state (FIG. 18a) a second, intermediate state (FIG. 18b)and a third, working state (FIG. 18c). The device, generally designated140 has a central opening 141 adapted to receive a spherical bodysimilar to that of the embodiments shown in FIGS. 14-17. In accordancewith another embodiment, the device 140 is an autonomous device, adaptedfor use by itself.

Device 140 has a panel 143, the two faces of which are covered byflexible sheets 144 and 146, both of which are fixed to edge 147 ofpanel 143. Each of sheets 144 and 146 has respective catch means 148 and149 (with respect to 148 see FIG. 18b). Device 140 has also hangingmeans 151.

In the storage state shown in FIG. 18a, flexible sheets 144 and 146cover each one face of panel 143. An adhesive substance (not shown) isessentially uniformly disposed between each flexible sheet and itsrespective face of the panel. When the two sheets are detached from thepanel, the adhesive coated faces of the panel 143 are exposed. The twoflexible sheets can be folded upwards whereby their faces which in thestorage state face outwards, become to face one another and the sheetsare retained in that state by means of respective catches 148 and 149 asshown in FIG. 18c.

Panel 143 is typically of a yellow color. In the autonomous embodimentof this device, rather than having a central hole 141, the panel mayhave a central circular differently colored portion, e.g. red colored,whereby the red-yellow color contrast facilitates the attraction of theinsects.

Sheets 144 and 146 may be transparent or, alternatively, these sheetsmay have the same color as that of the panel whereby after the sheetscome into the position shown in FIG. 18c, an enlarged panel is formed.For this purpose, the adhesive substance may be made to adhere to boththe panel and the sheets.

We claim:
 1. A device for combating insects by attracting insects andthen destroying them following their arrival on said device,comprising:a spherical body holding a liquid, said body having at leastone opening for diffusing the liquid into the surrounding atmosphere,the liquid containing an insect attractant; a panel of a color which hasinsect attracting properties, said panel having an aperture, whereinsaid spherical body is located within said aperture in a manner so thattwo hemispheres projecting each from one face of said panel are defined,and insect destroying means comprising an adhesive coating on saidpanel, whereby insects once landing on said panel become adheredthereto; wherein said spherical body comprises a top part and a bottompart, said top part defines an enclosure adapted to hold the liquid, andsaid bottom part includes a dish adapted to hold the liquid, the liquidin said top part being emptied into said dish through one of said atleast one opening.
 2. A device according to claim 1 further comprisingan adhesive coating on said spherical body.
 3. A device according toclaim 1 wherein said bottom part includes a wick which diffuses theliquid into the surrounding atmosphere.
 4. A device according to claim 1wherein said insect destroying means further comprises an insecticidecomprised within the liquid and means within said spherical bodyallowing access of the insects to the liquid, such that insects oncecoming into contact with the liquid, are killed by the insecticide.
 5. Adevice according to claim 1 wherein said spherical body has a red color.6. A device according to claim 1 further comprising a liquid containerassociated with said spherical body, wherein liquid contained in saidliquid container is transferred into said spherical body.
 7. A deviceaccording to claim 1 wherein said liquid container forms part of saidpanel.